The 25th Tenkaichi Budokai
by illjwamh
Summary: What if Gohan hadn't been attacked in the first round? What if the tournament had been played out in full? My take on how it would go. There's some GV in here, too. [COMPLETE]
1. Preliminaries

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and all its characters were created by Akira Toriyama. I am not Akira Toriyama. Enough said.

Author's Notes: Hee hee! A DBZ fic! I always wanted one! Getting right to the point, this story takes place during the world tournament (duh). The only catch is, they finish the tournament! Some interesting things would happen with this, I'm sure. By the way, when a quote is in italics, then it's the announcer talking over the microphone. This story picks up right around the time that Gohan gives Videl a senzu bean.

P.S. I wrote this fic to accommodate the poor, unfortunate dubbies, so all names will be in their American versions. (Except for Krillin, who will _always_ call his wife 'Juu-chan.')

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     "Please, daddy." Videl was pleading with her father to let Gohan help her. Naturally, the thickheaded brute was hearing none of it, but that didn't really seem to bother Gohan.

     "I trust you, Gohan," she said, shifting her attention to the young man leaning over her. "And I know it'll help. . .if you say it will." She gave him a weak smile, and he returned it with a little one of his own. He then popped the senzu bean in her mouth, and let out a relieved sigh. Mr. Satan, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit pleased.

     "Videl! No! Spit it out! Spit it out!"

     Videl wasn't even listening. She started to chew the bean, and smiled warmly at Gohan. The young demi-saiyan smiled back at her for a brief moment, and then said his goodbyes.

     "I have a match to go to now," he said. Without another word, he was out of the room, and running toward the ring. He thought he heard Mr. Satan yelling something at him, but he wasn't sure.

     When he arrived, Kibito was still waiting for him. Gohan greeted his opponent, and they slowly made their way out into the ring.

     "Now listen, everyone," said the mysterious Shin. "No matter what happens, I want you to promise me that you will stay out of the ring."

     Krillin simply laughed this statement off. "Gohan can take care of himself," he told the short purple fighter. "He doesn't need our help."

     Vegeta, on the other hand, was a little more indignant. "I don't even know you, and you're telling me what to do? Who do you think you're talking to, anyway?" he demanded.

     "Vegeta, show him some respect!" Piccolo said. "That is no way to be talking to the Supreme Kai!" Gasps came from all around.

     Goku couldn't believe it. None of them could, for that matter. All of them wanted to know why he was on Earth at the world martial arts tournament.

     "You will know soon enough," the Supreme Kai answered them. "But for now, you must promise me that none of you will try to help Gohan."

     "Okay," Goku said. "But why?"

     The Supreme Kai made an undetectable signal to Kibito, and then turned back to the Z fighters. "As soon as Gohan transforms, I am sure that Spopovich and Yamu will attack him. That is all I can tell you for now."

     "I guess I don't need these shades anymore," said Gohan to himself as he tossed said sunglasses aside. He'd just heard his friends cheering for him, and somehow they'd discovered his identity. 

     "Gohan," Kibito suddenly said to him, bringing his attention back to the upcoming fight. "I want to see you become a super saiyan."

     Gohan's eyes went wide with shock. 'What!? How does he know I'm a super saiyan?' He looked back at the larger fighter.

     "I want to see your true power."

     'Oh, man!' Gohan thought to himself. 'They'll never let me back into school after this! They'll think I'm a freak!' He debated in his head for a little while, and as he glanced over at his friends, he saw Piccolo give him a nod.

     "Has Gohan's fight started yet?" Videl asked, a little short on breath. She'd rushed over here as fast as she could to see it.

     "It's just about to," Krillin told her.

     "All right!" she rushed up to the front of the group to get a good view.

     _"And let the third match begin!"_ They heard the announcer's voice, but neither fighter moved.

     "Hey, what's going on?" Videl asked. They're just standing there."

     "Last chance for requests," Gohan told Kibito with a little smirk. "Do you want to see me become a super saiyan, or do you want me to go to the next level?"

     It was Kibito's turn to be shocked. "What? You mean there's a level beyond a super saiyan?"

     "That's right," Gohan answered simply. He crouched down, and began powering up. 'Oh, man!' he thought. 'This is gonna get me kicked out of school!'

     His energy started to rise, and all of a sudden, he became a super saiyan. The crowd was beyond amazed.

     "What? You mean he's the Great Saiyaman AND the gold fighter!?" Sharpner couldn't believe it.

     "Wow, he's really talented," was all Erasa could manage to say.

     'This is it,' Gohan thought. He let out a tremendous yell, and then began his second transformation. It was difficult, as he'd only ever performed it twice in his life, and both times were seven years ago. He could feel the whole stadium shaking, see the tiles rising round him, and see the telltale blue energy bolts that accompanied this new form. Then, with an enormous explosion of power, his transformation was complete. It really did feel exhilarating. 

     "Hmph," Vegeta snorted. "He had a lot more power when he fought Cell. I think your son's been slacking off in these times of peace, Kakarot."

     Videl could only stare wide-eyed at the spectacle before her. She couldn't believe what her friend was doing!

     "I think he's the one!" Spopovich said to his partner. "Look at that energy reading!" He pointed to the power meter in his hand.

     "He just might be," Yamu said. "But look at him. He's still a kid. I'm willing to bet that there's somebody in this tournament even stronger than him."

     "Do you really think so?" The big lummox asked.

     "I'm not sure, but there's only one way to find out. We'll let them finish the tournament, and then steal the energy from whoever wins."

     "But what if it does turn out to be this kid?"

     "Well then we'll just steal his energy then, won't we?" Yamu said, sounding a bit annoyed." 

     "Okay, whatever you say."

     'What are they doing!?' the Supreme Kai wondered. 'I was sure they would've attacked Gohan by now. What are they waiting for?'

     "Hey, Supreme Kai," Goku said. "I thought you said that those two were going to attack Gohan. What's up?"

     "I don't know, Goku," SK answered. "I really have no idea what they're waiting for. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

     "What are you waiting for?" Gohan demanded. "Are you going to fight me or not?"

     Kibito looked nervously over toward the Supreme Kai, who gave him an affirmative nod. The sturdy fighter nodded back, and then turned toward Gohan. 

     "Yes," he said. "The fight will begin now." He dropped into a fighting stance, and Gohan did the same, still wearing a big smirk.

     _"And it looks like they're ready to begin, ladies and gentlemen. The Great Saiyaman has proven his strength and abilities many times, saving our city from all kinds of disasters. However, his opponent doesn't appear to be a pushover. Kibito received an impressive score on the punch machine, and if his physique is any indication, I'd say he's a pretty tough guy."_

     "All right! Go Gohan!" Videl was cheering like crazy from the sidelines, and Krillin looked on with a smirk.

     "I think we've found Gohan's number one fan." He laughed, and Goku laughed a little bit, too. Videl didn't seem to notice. If only Gohan were right there, they could really embarrass him. 

     "Are you ready?" Kibito asked.

     "Any time you are," Gohan returned. Kibito's feet snapped, and he rushed his opponent.

     _"And there he goes! Kibito is off, and he's really going after Saiyaman! He's throwing punches and kicks so fast I can barely see them but wait! Not a single one of his blows have made contact! Saiyaman is deflecting them as if they were nothing!"_

"Is this the best you can do?" Gohan asked. "I've gotta tell you, I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting a good fight after you asked me to transform." He continued to block Kibito's attacks effortlessly. The crowd was really getting into it.

     "Wow! Look at him go!" Erasa exclaimed. "He's incredible!"

     Sharpner chuckled a little bit. "And I told him he might make an okay boxer with a little practice! How did he pan that one off with a straight face?"

     "Amazing!" Videl shrieked. "This is unbelievable!"

     "Ah, this is nothing," Krillin said. "Wait until he fights his dad or somebody. Then he'll really get going."

     Videl's eyes went wide. "What? You mean he can do even better than this?"

     "Oh sure," Krillin said. "Look at him. He's not even trying at all right now." Videl looked back to the ring, even more stunned than before. She'd known Gohan was tough, but not this tough! Right now, he was by far the most impressive thing she'd ever seen!

     _"What an incredible fight, ladies and gentlemen! Kibito still has yet to land a single punch, and from the looks of it, the Great Saiyaman has yet to break a sweat!"_

     "Well, that's as long as this lasts, then," Gohan said. He blocked on more punch, and then returned with one of his own in Kibito's stomach. He then quickly performed a perfect roundhouse, hitting his opponent square in the jaw and sending him flying backward out of the ring.

     _"And that finishes it! With a single attack, the Great Saiyaman has knocked his opponent from the ring! Remarkable! So that means that he will move on to face Spopovich in the second round. And what a match that promises to be! Stick around, folks. The next fight is due to begin in just a few minutes!"_

     Gohan reverted to his normal state, and left the ring to go join his friends. Videl came running out to meet him.

     "That was incredible, Gohan!" she yelled excitedly. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

     Gohan blushed a little and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, just lots of practice."

     "And what was with all the light and shaking?" She was definitely curious, but her tone resembled that of an eager child. "Your brother did something like that, too. His wasn't quite so impressive, but still. What is that technique?"

     Gohan wasn't sure just what to tell her. "Ah, it's a family technique. I don't know how my father learned it, but he taught it to me, and Goten kind of figured it out for himself."

     "Well I think it has to be one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen!" She latched onto his arm and leaned up against him, and they walked back over to the rest of the group. Normally, this would've made Gohan terribly nervous, but he was strangely comfortable with it this time.

     "Hey, Sharpner," Erasa said. "Is that Videl down there with Gohan?" She pointed to the pair of them.

     Sharpner squinted down at them. "Yeah. I think it is! How did she get better so quick?"

     "I don't know," Erasa said. "But it sure looks like she and Gohan are pretty close."

     Sharpner sank back into his seat. "Yeah, it sure does," he said with a defeated tone.

     _"And now folks, we are pleased to bring you our fifth match in this preliminary round. First: you know him, you love him, the defending world champion of martial arts and the man who defeated Cell, Mr. Satan!"_

**     "Yeah! Satan rules!"**

**     "He's the best!"**

**     "I wonder who's gonna win this fight!"**

_"And his challenger: the blonde bombshell with the wacky name, give it up for Number 18!"_

**"All right! Number 18 rules!"**

**     "You've gotta cheer for someone who looks like that!"**

     "Yeah! Go 18!" Chi Chi was shouting at the top of her lungs.

     "Chi Chi, calm down," Bulma said.

     "Boy, it sure is great to finally see someone who can beat the pants of that Mr. Satan idiot," Yamcha laughed. "Now I wish I'd entered, just so I'd have had the chance to do it."

     "I hope she doesn't get too carried away," whispered Krillin to Goku. "I told her to take it easy on him, but you know what that means in Juu-chan's book."

     "I wouldn't worry about it, Krillin," Goku chuckled. "She knows she can't kill him or she'll be disqualified."

     "I just hope she humiliates him a little bit, though," Krillin said with a snicker.

     "What are you guys talking about?" Videl asked. She and Gohan had just walked over to them.

     "Oh, nothing," replied Goku innocently, scratching the back of his head.

     "We were just talking about how my wife is going to beat the pants off of your father," Krillin said.

     "Krillin!" Gohan shouted at him. It was too late.

     "What? You think my dad's going to lose to her?" She didn't sound quite as angry as they'd expected, but rather almost sounded a bit intrigued.

     "Well, I think she might have a chance," Gohan said, trying to smooth the situation over as much as possible.

     "We'll see," said Videl. She had now fixed her gaze upon the ring, where Mr. Satan and 18 stood facing each other.

     "I hate to fight a lady, but you leave me no choice," Mr. Satan stated in his usual egotistical manner. "I'll try to take it easy on you, but I can't promise anything."

     18 merely rolled her eyes. "Spare me."

     _"Okay, folks! Let's get this match underway! The fifth battle of the world tournament begins now!"_

     "It'll all be over soon, sweetheart!" Mr. Satan taunted as he pushed off with his foot and dashed toward 18.

     _"And Mr. Satan is on the attack! Look at that! He started off so fast that Number 18 didn't even have time to put up a defense! The champ begins his assault, and. . .she dodges it! A quick slip to the side, and Mr. Satan's punch goes right on by! Here he goes again, and. . .another dodge! Number 18 sure is a quick one!"_

     "Hold still, will you?" Mr. Satan demanded. He continued throwing punch after punch, but 18 evaded them all without even moving her feet.

     "Wow, she is fast," Videl remarked.

     "Wait'll she decides to go on the attack," Goku said.

     Videl's eyes went wide again. 'Maybe she does have a chance to beat my father!' She looked around again at the Z fighters. 'Who are these guys? She's besting the world champion without even trying, yet they don't seem to think anything of it! What do they know that I don't?'

     _"Well, it looks like Mr. Satan can't seem to land an attack. He takes a jump back, and he looks like he's got something special up his sleeve. What's he going to. . .Mr. Satan leaps at Number 18! His fist is pulled back and ready to strike a mighty blow! This could be it for the beautiful Number 18!"_

     18 sighed and rolled her eyes. Just as Mr. Satan came into her range, she lifted up her foot and landed a powerful kick to his stomach. He froze in place for an instant, doubled over her foot, and then went flying backward very quickly.

     _"Oh! And Mr. Satan has taken a mighty blow to the gut! He's going back, and. . .yes! He is out of the ring! That's right! The champ has landed out! And way out at that! He was literally launched back, and was slammed into the stadium wall! And that's that, folks! The returning champion and favorite to win the tournament was eliminated in the first round! I don't think this has ever happened before in the history of the world martial arts tournament!"_

     The crowd was struck silent, but after a minute they all began cheering wildly for 18. The announcer walked over to the defeated Mr. Satan to talk to him.

     "So, Mr. Satan," he began. "What's it feel like to be eliminated in the first round when you were so favored to win?"

     Mr. Satan was at a loss for words as well. However, he's always been one to quickly find them again. He performed his usual cocky laugh, and then said into the mike, "Well, I've always considered myself a gentleman, and tend to take it easy on the ladies. I guess this time I took it a little too easy. I sure hope she appreciates it, because this will never happen again!" He laughed again, and the crowd went wild.

     _"Well there you have it, folks! Even at the cost of losing the tournament, Mr. Satan refuses to deviate from his code of honor! What a truly remarkable man!"_

     "Oh, man!" Yamcha complained, gesturing toward the crowd. "Look at them. They're eating it up!"

     "Don't worry about it, Yamcha," Bulma said. "At least he's out of the tournament and we won't have to put up with him or his fans anymore."

     "I guess you're right. I just wish one of the guys had beaten him so he didn't have an excuse."

     Chi Chi laughed. "But think about his pride. That big dope has to be feeling pretty bad about himself right now, being beaten by a girl and all." The three of them laughed as they watched Mr. Satan leave the stadium.

     "Dad, why did you say that?" Videl asked when her father came back into the waiting area. "It wasn't true, was it?"

     "Of course it was!" he yelled. "Are you doubting your own father?"

     Gohan's blood was boiling. He didn't like seeing Videl's father yell at her like that. However, rather than violently defending her as he wanted to do, he went over and calmly defused the situation.

     "Your father and 18 are the only ones who really know what happened, Videl," he said. "Just let him alone. Whether it's true or not, I'm sure he's still upset about being eliminated, so let's give him some space." And with that, Gohan led Videl away before Mr. Satan had a chance to yell at him for doing so.

     "When are they going to get started?" Vegeta demanded. "The last match ended nearly ten minutes ago! What's taking so long?"

     "Calm down, Vegeta," Goku said. "It always takes the crowd a few minutes to adjust after an unexpected upset. We'll be up in a short while."

     "We'd better," Vegeta grunted. "The only reason I came here today was to fight you, Kakarot, and I'm getting impatient."

     "Vegeta really wants to fight your dad, doesn't he?" Videl asked as she and Gohan watched the two saiyans converse.

     "Yeah, they're old rivals," Gohan said. "They fought for the first time back when I was six, and ever since Vegeta's become obsessed with becoming stronger than my dad."

     "Do you think he has a chance this time?"

     "To be honest, I don't know. I haven't seen my father in seven years, and I don't know how much training he or Vegeta have truly done. I know my dad was stronger back then, though."

     "Hey Gohan," Videl asked curiously, "Why does Vegeta call your dad 'Kakarot?'"

     Gohan had to think quickly to come up with an answer. "Uh, they're both descended from an ancient warrior clan. My dad was separated and raised in the country when he was a baby, so he has no real memory of it. Kakarot was his clan name, and Vegeta doesn't really like his new one." Videl nodded in understanding and Gohan shrugged inwardly. It was half true.

     _"And now, ladies and gentlemen!"_ They could hear the announcer's voice over the loudspeaker. _"It's time for the sixth fight here in the first round! This fight will pit former world champion Son Goku against the newcomer Vegeta! Son Goku has proven his strength time and time again at this tournament, but from what we've seen today so far, Vegeta isn't one to be taken lightly either! I'd say that with Mr. Satan knocked out, this fight could very well foreshadow the end of the tournament!"_

     'Oh no!' a thought suddenly occurred to Gohan. 'I can't let Videl see them fight!'

     ::It shouldn't be a problem, Gohan:: he heard a voice in his head. After a moment of thought, he realized it was the Supreme Kai, whom Piccolo had told him about earlier.

     ::What do you mean?:: asked Gohan.

     ::Well, everyone else is going to see, why not Videl? Besides, I don't think either of them would do anything to destructive, not with all of these people around::

     ::I guess you're right:: Gohan conceded.

     _"Will the fighter please make their way to the ring?"_

     "Let's go, Kakarot," Vegeta said. He started the walk out to the ring.

     "Right behind you, Vegeta," Goku chuckled. The two walked out to the ring, climbed up the steps, and faced each other, waiting for the announcer's signal.

     _"And let the fight begin!"_

     Immediately, the two saiyan warriors rushed at each other. When they met, their arms crashed into each other, and then they shot up into the air.

     _"Wow! Look at them go! They're moving so fast I can barely see them!"_

     "Wow! You weren't kidding, Gohan! Your dad's really good!" Gohan beamed with pride as he heard Videl compliment his father.

     "Ha ha!" Krillin cheered. "I knew this was going to be good! I can't wait until they decide to turn it up!"

     "It will be a sight to see, there's no doubting that," Piccolo said. "And I think that we can agree that this is pretty much the deciding fight in the tournament. It's most likely going to end up the winner of this fight versus either the Supreme Kai or Gohan."

     "Well, that was a good warm up, wouldn't you say, Kakarot?" Vegeta said as they took a break from fighting and faced each other in midair.

     Goku smirked a little bit. "Yeah, I think so. Are you ready to turn it up a notch?" Vegeta gave a little chuckle, and they attacked each other again.

     "And there they go again! Neither one of them seems to be giving an inch, and we may just have to go the full thirty minutes on this one!"

     In the stands, Bulma and Chi Chi were each cheering for their respective husbands, Ox-King, Oolong, Puaar and Master Roshi cheered for Goku, and Yamcha wisely cheered for neither lest he ignite the wrath of either of the two volatile women. Secretly, however, he too was cheering for Goku.

     Up in the air, another break had come. Vegeta was the first to speak again.

     "Well, Kakarot, I did give my word not to transform, but I think we can both agree that that idea is out the window. So I say we continue this battle the way it should be fought." He took a brief seconds, and then his hair turned gold and the bright aura surrounded him. Goku followed suit and transformed as well.

     "Hey, wait a second," Videl said. "Vegeta knows that technique as well? I thought you said it was a family technique."

     "Well, it is," said a panicky Gohan. "But when Vegeta saw my father do it, he devoted the next four years of his life to learning it himself."

     "Oh, I see. It really is a strong rivalry."

     Gohan rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

     "Hey, hold on a sec," said Sharpner. "Weren't those two guys at the Cell Games?" He grabbed his friend's binoculars to get a closer look.

     "I don't know," Erasa said. "They sure do look familiar."

     "Come on, hold still!" Sharpner was frustrated that he couldn't get them in the binoculars because they were moving too fast.

     "I saw Videl down there with them," Erasa said. "Maybe she knows them. We'll have to ask her after the tournament."

     Up in the sky, the battle raged on. _"Amazing! Neither fighter is giving an inch! This is one for the record books, ladies and gentlemen! If one of them doesn't finish this quickly, we're going to have to call time! The only problem is, the judges would have a very difficult time deciding a winner!"_

Up in the air above the ring, things were really heating up. Both fighters were using new moves they'd developed over the past seven years. The announcer was right, neither one was giving an inch, although it was clear to all who knew them that they were holding back for the safety of the spectators. 

     After another intense exchange of blows, they flew apart once more._  
_     "Hey, Vegeta!" Goku called. Vegeta stopped where he was and looked over.

     "What?"

     "We've only got a minute or so left. We have to finish this now! What do you say to a ki beam showdown?"

     Vegeta grinned a wide grin. "Whatever you say, Kakarot! It will be just like our first battle, only this time I will win!"

     "What are they doing?" Krillin asked, puzzled.

     "They look like they're powering up for something," said Piccolo. Krillin's eyes went wide

     "They wouldn't! If they fire off any ki blasts while they're transformed, they could rip this whole planet apart!"

     "I'm sure Goku would never put the Earth in danger for something as trivial as this tournament," Piccolo said. "We'll just have to trust him."

     "I hope you're right," Krillin still sounded nervous.

     Meanwhile both fighters had placed their hands behind their backs. Evidently, they both wanted to go with their old standbys. As they powered up, the familiar words came from their mouths.

     "Kame. . .Hame. . ."

     "Galick Gun. . ."

     "HA!"

     "FIRE!"

     The two beams raced toward each other at incredible speed, and smashed into one another in the middle. Below, all onlookers were left speechless. Even the Z-senshi and the Supreme Kai. All except Gohan looked on in total wonder and amazement.

     "You're not going to beat me this time, Kakarot! I've trained too hard for this!" Vegeta pushed every last bit of energy he had into his blast, and it slowly began to inch toward Goku, pushing back his Kame-hame-ha ever so slowly.

     "I'm sorry, Vegeta," Goku said. "I guess maybe I have an unfair advantage since I trained in the other world, but I'm going to win this time."

     "Like hell you are!" Vegeta gave one last push, but at that same moment Goku put a large surge of power into his attack, which quickly started to overtake Vegeta's. The saiyan prince's face fell.

     "No! Impossible! How could you still be stronger than me? Even after all that training? This cannot be happening! Not now!" He tried with all his might, but Vegeta could not counter Goku's unstoppable attack. Just as it made contact, Goku released it so as not to kill or severely injure his opponent. Vegeta was sent hurling backward and toward the ground, and he landed just a few feet from the edge of the stadium, dangerously close to the crowd. A large crater was the mark of his fall.

     The entire stadium was silent. Goku powered down, and floated back down into the ring. After a few seconds, the announcer spoke up, albeit in a fairly shaky voice.

     _"Well, it appears that Goku has indeed defeated his opponent. Unfortunately, by the rules concerning use of excessive force-"_ a collective gasp cut him off as Vegeta climbed out of the crater. He was a little banged up, but otherwise fine. He seemed more ashamed and upset at losing than actually hurt.

     _"Amazing! Vegeta is okay! However, he landed outside the ring, so he did lose the match, which makes Goku the winner! Lets hear it one more time for this pair of absolutely outstanding fighters!"_ The crowd erupted in applause, and Goku and Vegeta headed back over to the waiting area. They met halfway.

     "Are you okay, Vegeta?" Goku asked. "I hope I didn't hit you to hard."

     "I'm fine," Vegeta snapped. Goku made a gesture that said he was sorry, and the two continued in silence for a few seconds before Vegeta spoke up.

     "Kakarot, one day I swear I'm going to beat you, and then I can finally wipe that smug look off your face once and for all."

     "Sure, Vegeta. Whatever you say."

     "Don't patronize me, Kakarot!" The prince snapped again. "If we weren't bound by the rules of this tournament, that fight would have gone much differently."

     Goku didn't know what to say. He pondered for a moment, then got an idea.

     "I'll tell you what, Vegeta," he said. "You keep training, and when you get to otherworld, we can have a final showdown. No rules, no limits, and no one to get in our way. How does that sound?" Vegeta seemed to regard the idea for a moment, although it was fairly obvious that he was still angry.

     "Very well," he agreed at last. "And rest assured Kakarot, I will be the victor." With that, he split off from Goku and wandered off somewhere to be alone for a while.

     "Okay, that fight took a while, so we'll move right along to the next one! It's Mighty Mask versus Killa!"

     "Come on, Goten! That's us!"

     "All right! Hold on, will ya?" Goten walked out of the waiting area with Trunks on his shoulders. Killa walked next to them.

     "Ho, itellya yougonget mesduphere Killagonnokyou rightoutdaringonepunch."

     "What did he say?" Goten asked. Trunks shrugged. 

     "Who knows? All I know is that he's gonna go down quick." Then he changed to his deep, fake voice and spoke to Killa. "You can taunt me all you want, but I'm still going to wipe the floor with you."

     Killa just scowled and made a grumbling noise. Actually, he might have been saying something, but it sounded like a grumbling noise.

     _"And here they are! Both of these fighters have never made it very far in the tournament, but that may just be the pairings they've had. Nevertheless, only one of them will be allowed to advance today. So, without further ado, let's get this fight started!"_

     Killa rushed at the two boys, but Trunks hit him in the face with a solid punch and he was knocked all the way back out of the ring.

     _"Oh! And that clinches it! As quickly as the fight started, it's over! And all from just one punch! It looks like Mighty Mask has been doing some hard work!"_

     "Did you see that?" Krillin asked. "That was pretty impressive. I don't think any normal fighter could do that."

     "You're right, Krillin," Piccolo said. "We'd better keep our eyes on this one, too."

     "Wow, that was pretty good!" exclaimed Videl.

     "Yeah, it was," Gohan agreed. He was just as surprised as her. "This guy's no ordinary fighter."

     _"All right, then! That means it's time for our final match in this preliminary round! Will Jewel and Yamu please come forward and enter the ring."_ They did so, and many women in the audience cheered for Jewel.

     _"Both of these fighters have fought in this tournament before. Last time, Jewel made it all the way to the finals, while Yamu was cut short in the second round. Let's see how they do today. Let the fight begin!"_

     Jewel charged his opponent and attacked quickly. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as strong as Videl, and thus no match for the powered up thug. After only a minute or so of holding back, Yamu beat the pretty boy senseless and launched him from the ring. There were many disappointed fans. 

     _"And that concludes the first round of the World Martial Arts Tournament! The quarter finals will begin in exactly one half hour, with Krillin versus the mysterious Shin!"_ And so the crowd filed out to stretch their legs, and the Z-senshi retreated to the recreation room. All except for Gohan and Videl. They headed off together to talk. 

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

Whew! Done! I actually started on this fic quite a while ago, but never got around to finishing it! I suppose that's a good thing, as I noticed several things that needed to be changed when I reopened it and went back over it. Anyway, next up: the quarter finals! The match many people would truly love to see: Gohan vs. Spopovich! I can't wait!


	2. Quarterfinals

Disclaimer: I believe we've been through this already.

Author's Notes: Wow! I got a much bigger response to this than I'd expected! To be perfectly honest, this was just something I threw together a few months ago when a bunch of ideas came into my head. I soon after dismissed it, and for some reason I didn't delete it, so it just sat there on my computer. Then, late one night, I was bored and wanted to upload something, so I opened it up, polished it, put an ending on it, and there you go. I guess I'll have to abandon projects and come back again more often, eh?

P.S. If you like this, read my other big DBZ fic: Dragonball G. It's an alternate sequel series to DBZ, in place of GT.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

     Gohan and Videl sat on a bench a on the far side of the island from the stadium. Nobody else was around, so they could talk about the tournament away from the nosey ears of the general public. Even the souvenir shop across from them was empty.

     "So tell me, really, how did that woman beat my father?" Videl asked.

     "I've already said that only he really knows what happened," Gohan lied. "If you think he's not telling the truth, you should talk to him about it." Videl wasn't buying it.

     "Gohan, I know you know something," she said. "Not you nor any one of your friends was the least bit surprised when she won. That one guy Krillin even said she would beforehand." Gohan gulped and sweat nervously. He had no idea how he was going to explain this.

     "Well, you see…" he began, "Krillin is just really confident in his wife, that's all. As for the fight, if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that size isn't everything. Your dad may be really big, but 18 is really, really fast. If he can't catch her, he can't beat her." He finished off with a smile, and mentally patted himself on the back. He did pretty well considering he was making it up as he went. He noticed Videl smirk at him.

     "Well I'll believe you for now," she said, "but I still say there's something else you're not telling me. I've bothered you enough about it though, so I'll ask again later." He gave a sarcastic laugh.

     "Gee, thanks," he teased.

     "So what about you?" she asked, her face lit up again. "That fight of yours was incredible!" She'd told him that already, but she couldn't get over it. He smiled at her.

     "Thanks."

     "I knew you would win, of course," she continued. She wrapped her arms around his left arm, and leaned against him. He was back to his old self in that it made him a little nervous.

     "I don't think there's anyone here that could beat you," she finished. Gohan swelled with pride as he heard her say this. She suddenly let go of him and jumped up off the bench and spun around to face him.

     "I mean, how many people can lift airplanes and punch through water tanks and knock out dinosaurs and all the other crazy stuff I've seen you do?" She was very excited again.

     "Not many, I guess," Gohan answered weakly.

     From the other side of the island, they could hear the whistle announcing the beginning of the quarterfinals.

     "I guess that means I've gotta go back," Gohan said, getting up.

     "And just what do you mean by that?" Videl asked pretending to be hurt. "I'm going to go back and sit in the waiting area with you, and I'll have front row seats for your fight. Don't you think for one minute that you're going back without me, Son Gohan. There's no way I'm sitting up in the bleachers." Gohan chuckled a little bit.

     "All right, you've made your point. Let's get going or they'll start without us." They took off and headed toward the gigantic stadium on the other side of the island.

*          *            *

     "So Whaddya think, guys?" Goku asked as they all sat in the rec room sans Vegeta. "That Mighty Mask seemed a bit stronger than normal, don't you think?" Everyone nodded.

     "Yes," said Piccolo. "He knocked his opponent out of the ring with a single punch. The only people that should be able to do that, we know."

     "Ah, I wouldn't worry about it, you guys," Krillin said. "So he's a little strong, so what? There's no way anyone on this planet would be strong enough to cause us any trouble."

     "That's true, Krillin, but that's not what we're worried about," Piccolo said. "If this fighter has learned how to train himself to that level, then others might as well. The world would be a dangerous place if a bunch of powered up warriors were running around. Even if they only were as strong as Raditz, they could still cause a lot of trouble."

     "Speaking of which, what about those two guys Spopovich and Yamu?" Krillin asked. "They seemed unusually strong, and that Spopovich character was downright creepy."

     "The Supreme Kai said something about them wanting to attack Gohan," Piccolo said. "That's all we know for now."

     "Where is the Supreme Kai, anyway?" Goku asked.

     "He and that Kibito guy went off somewhere to talk about something," Krillin answered. Their conversation was interrupted however, by a familiar greeting.

     "Hey, you guys!" They all turned their heads towards the door and the source of the voice.

     "Yamcha!" Krillin shouted. "What are you doing back here?" Yamcha put his finger to his lips.

     "Shh!" He whispered. "I'm not supposed to be. They let me come back and look at the arena because I'm a former contestant, but I'm not supposed to come see you guys."

     "Well hurry in and close the door already then, will ya?" Krillin said. Yamcha did so.

      "Congratulations on your fights, you guys," he said. "And 18, I gotta say, your fight made me so happy I almost cried."

     She responded with a "Hmm," but the corners of her mouth turned upward just a little bit.

     "So how are the fights looking from out there?" Goku asked his friend.

     "Oh, they're incredible. Goku, yours was one of the best fights I've seen in a long time. I take it Vegeta's not happy, and that' why he's not here."

     "You guessed right on that one," Krillin laughed. "Was Bulma upset about it, too?"

     "Well, she was disappointed, but she took it pretty well. And it's not like she can't be happy for Goku." It was then that Piccolo broke into their conversation.

     "Yamcha, what do you think of Mighty Mask?" he asked. Yamcha thought about it for a moment.

     "He looks unusually strong to me," the former bandit replied. Piccolo nodded and grunted.

     "And Spopovich and Yamu?" inquired the Namek.

     "Those two creep me out. And that Spopovich guy, I was ready to jump into the ring and take him out myself when I saw what he was dong to that girl Videl." Krillin smirked.

     "If you think it bothered you, you should've seen Gohan. He was about to explode." The short man laughed. "Man, I sure wouldn't wanna be Spopovich in the quarterfinals."

     "Speaking of the quarterfinals," Piccolo stated, "they just sounded the whistle. You'd better get back out there."

     "Aren't you coming, Piccolo?" Goku asked. The Namek shook his head.

     "No, I'm going to find Vegeta. If he's really in a bad mood, then he shouldn't be where ordinary people could set him off."

     "That's a good idea," Yamcha said. "If you can't find him by the end of the round, come get me and I'll help you. But for right now, I've got to get out of here." He darted over to the door, peeked out to make sure no one was looking, and then dashed out of the building and back towards the bleachers. Piccolo went off in search of Vegeta, and the rest of them returned to the small waiting area outside the ring.

*          *            *

     "Here," Sharpener said as he handed his two friends their drinks. "And I hope you appreciate it, because that line was insane."

     "Did you see Videl and Gohan?" Erasa asked. Sharpener looked puzzled.

     "No, why would I?" he asked.

     "Well, they took off a little while ago, and they haven't come back ye—oh, look! There they are now!" She pointed to the fighters' waiting area, where Gohan and Videl were just landing.

     "I guess the next round is about to start," Erasa said. Sharpener seemed bummed again.

     "Yeah, I guess it is," he said. He sighed groaned and looked at Gohan and Videl. There was nothing he could do. If he tried anything, Gohan would surely beat the tar out of him. 

     'That's what I would do,' he thought.

*          *            *

     _"Okay, ladies and gentlemen! We're back and ready to begin the quarterfinals! Our first match pits the accomplished and veteran fighter Krillin against the mysterious newcomer Shin! Would the fighters please make their way to the ring?"_

     "You're gonna be okay, Krillin," Goku encouraged his buddy as he left for the ring.

     "How can you say that?" Krillin asked indignantly. "I'm fighting the Supreme Kai for Dende's sake!"

     "Don't let that worry you! Just go out there and do your best!" Krillin gulped.

     "If you say so, Goku."

     _"Here they come, folks! The two smallest competitors in this year's tournament are ascending into the ring! I'm sure we can expect a good show from this bout!"_

     'There he is,' Krillin thought to himself. 'This is just great. I came here to have a good time, and I end up fighting the supreme overseer of the universe! How can I attack him?'

     ::You needn't worry about that, Krillin:: a voice in his head said. ::I will not be angry with you in the least if you fare well against me. On the contrary, I will be much more pleased if you defeat me than if you do not:: Krillin looked in astonishment at the Supreme Kai, who was looking back at him with a grin on his face.

     "What do you mean?" Krillin asked aloud.

     ::You will understand, I promise. But for now, I want you to promise me that you will not hold back against me simply because I am the Supreme Kai. I want you to give this fight everything you have. Do you understand?:: Krillin answered telepathically this time.

     :Yeah, I guess so:: The Supreme Kai grinned widely.

     ::Good. Now let's see what the strongest human in the world is capable of:: He dropped into a fighting stance, and Krillin did the same. The poor little guy was still nervous as hell.

     _"Let the first match of the quarterfinals begin!"_ Krillin decided to go on the offensive, and charged at the Supreme Kai. He threw a volley of kicks and punches that were all blocked, and the two of them sparred back and forth like that for a few minutes.

     _"Look at them go, ladies and gentlemen! The quarterfinals are definitely off to a good start, and it can only get better from here!"_

*          *            *

     "Has Krillin been training much, Gohan?" Goku asked as he watched the fight.

     "Well, yes, but not as much as he used to, that's for sure."

     "He's really good, Gohan," Videl said. "I can see how you got to be so strong. Anyone would be if they grew up around guys like these."

     "I hope he can win it," Gohan said. "It'd be nice for Krillin to make it back to the semifinals. This Shin guy looks pretty tough, though." Of course he didn't tell Videl who 'Shin' really was.

*          *            *

     Back in the ring, 'Shin' was surveying Krillin's technique as they fought.

     'He has great potential,' the kai thought to himself. 'But he's missing something. He lacks confidence.' He blocked another kick, and then squinted his eyes and focused some of his ki towards his opponent. 

     Krillin threw another volley of kicks, but again to no avail. He was doing okay, but the Supreme Kai was just too much for him. He leaped back to prepare another attack, when suddenly he felt something ignite within him.

     All of a sudden, he found himself surging with new power. It was reminiscent of the time on Namek when Guru had released the hidden strength deep inside him. With this newfound rush of power, he felt a gush of self-assurance come with it. He could win this fight. He rushed his foe, and with a combination of three kicks and two punches, sent him to the other side of the ring. The crowd cheered wildly, and Krillin felt a wave of adrenaline wash over him such as he'd never experienced before. After a moment's hesitation, he remembered what the Supreme Kai had said about being more pleased if Krillin were to win than to lose. He made his decision, and readied his attack. His hands were cupped behind him, and he gathered the energy needed to release his favorite technique.

     "Ka…me…ha…me…HA!" He fired it forward, and it made contact with the Supreme Kai just as he was getting up off the floor. With no time to block, the kai was sent hurtling backward and out of the ring.

     _"And Shin is out! That makes Krillin the victor! This means that he will go on to the semifinals to face either Spopovich or the Great Saiyaman! What an amazing match!"_

     Krillin looked at his hands, unable to believe what he had just done. He had just forced a ring-out against the one and only Supreme Kai! A fight he was certain he'd lose, and here he was standing victorious! And what's more, the crowd was loving it! With the exception of Mr. Satan's most dedicated followers shouting that it was a cheap trick, the spectators were cheering wildly at the event they had just witnessed. It was a moment that Krillin would never forget. The surge of adrenaline had subsided, but the confidence he'd felt was still there in full.

     "Maybe I should start pushing myself a little farther," he said.

*          *            *

     The Supreme Kai got up from where he'd landed and looked over at Krillin. The earthling was still in awe over his accomplishment, and the kai smiled. This was exactly what he'd hoped would happen.

*          *            *

     "Great job, Krillin!" Goku congratulated his friend when he returned. "You've been working really hard if you can beat the Supreme Kai!"

     "Well, I wouldn't say that exactly," Krillin admitted. "To tell you the truth, a lot of the strength you saw I acquired during the fight." Goku looked puzzled.

     "What do you mean, Krillin?" he asked.

     "I don't know how to explain it, really," the short man said. "It was like…my whole body just started surging with energy. I don't know where it came from, it was like it came out of nowhere." Goku thought for a moment.

     "It sounds like you're describing the Kaio-ken, but I didn't see you do it or anything." Krillin shook his head.

     "No, I don't know that technique. I have no idea where that power came from. And to tell you what, I'll bet the Supreme Kai wasn't at his full power, either."

     "Quit it, will you?" Goku said with a laugh. "Just be proud of yourself." Krillin plastered his face with a big grin.

     "Oh, I am. Believe me." 

*          *            *

     "Let's not delay any, ladies and gentlemen. Our next fight is between Spopovich and the Great Saiyaman! Would those two please report to the ring?"

     "This is it," Videl said. "Go get him, Gohan." She flashed a huge smile at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.

     "I won't be long," he said. Then he turned around and walked toward the ring. Videl watched him go and sighed. The look on her face was the same as when he'd saved her from Toto the dinosaur all those weeks ago.

     Gohan entered the ring and faced his oversized opponent. A look of deep anger was present on his normally calm face. His abhorrence of the burly fighter was apparent.

     Spopovich, on the other hand, wore a very cocky expression. He was sure that the strength he'd been given was more than enough to deal with the skinny kid in front of him. It was merely another testament to his…below average intellect.

     "I hope you can take what you dish out," Gohan practically snarled. "Because I'm going to make you really regret what you did to my friend." The brute's face didn't change one bit.

*          *            *

     "I wouldn't want to be that guy right now," Yamcha said to Chi-Chi and Bulma.

     "Gohan's gonna tear that big bully apart!" Chi-Chi yelled.

     "It's nothing he doesn't deserve, that's for sure," said Bulma.

*          *            *

     "I sure wouldn't want to be that guy right about now," Erasa said. "Gohan looks pretty mad." Sharpener chuckled.

     "After what he did to Videl, he has it coming." Erasa looked at him.

     "What do you think Gohan'll do?" she asked.

     "Well, I know what I would do," Sharpener replied, "but that would get him disqualified." Erasa gasped.

     "Do you think he'll…"

     "Nah. Gohan has more sense than that. I'll agree with you on one thing though, that guy is not going to enjoy this match."

*          *            *

     "Boy, I sure wouldn't wanna be Spopovich right now," Goku said. Krillin laughed heartily.

     "Oh, man!" he talked sporadically between laughs. "Gohan's gonna totally clobber this guy!"

     "At least he's had a chance to calm down a bit," said Goku. "He might've killed the guy if he'd gone out there before."

     "He's just defending Videl's honor, Goku," Krillin chuckled. "Look at her. Look at the smile on her face." He smirked and so did Goku. "Looks like I was right about those two, huh?"

     "Looks that way," Goku said. "Let's wait and see how they act when the fight is over."

*          *            *

     _"Here they are, ladies and gentlemen. Both competitors fared well in the first round, although one of them perhaps went a little too far. On a lighter note, the Great Saiyaman is a close acquaintance of Videl's, and he doesn't look to happy right about now. I sure wouldn't want to be in Spopovich's shoes, that's for sure. Anyway, with that said, let the second match of the quarterfinals begin!"_

     Gohan stood still, not even dropping into a fighting stance. He remained perfectly motionless with a look of contempt burned onto his face. Spopovich, apparently, was not expecting this, as he didn't move either.

     _"They don't seem to be moving, I wonder what's going—wait! Spopovich is on the attack! Here they go!"_

     Evidently, Spopovich had tired of waiting for Gohan to attack, and took the initiative himself. He charged at the young demi-saiyan, and threw a massive punch right in his face. 

     Gohan didn't move. He didn't flinch, he didn't block, he didn't dodge, and his expression didn't change one bit. It was as if nothing touched him. Needless to say, the crowd was speechless.

*          *            *

     "Oh my god!" Videl exclaimed.  "What just happened?" She turned to Goku and Krillin. "Goku? What is going on?" The two warriors looked back at her with smirks in their faces.

     "Gohan's gonna teach this guy a lesson, I think," Goku said simply. Krillin snickered, and Videl just stood there flabbergasted. She turned around again to watch the fight, unable to speak.

*          *            *

     _"Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! The Great Saiyaman has taken a massive blow to the face, and he didn't move an inch! Spopovich looks stunned, and he—yes! He's still on the attack! He's throwing punch after punch, but none of them seem to have an effect! He might as well be punching a brick wall!"_

     Up in the stands, Gohan's friends, along with everyone else, stared openmouthed and bug-eyed at the spectacle before them.

     "H-how can he just stand there and take that?" Sharpener stammered. "W-without even flinching?"

     "I think it would be a good idea to never get Gohan angry," Erasa said shakily.

*          *            *

     "Meanwhile, in the ring, Gohan was beginning to get tired of this particular fashion of humiliation, and decided to change tactics. On the next punch, he reached up and effortlessly grabbed his aggressor's incoming fist. In the back of his mind, he could hear the crowd gasp, and could vaguely pick up the announcer shouting about what he'd just done, but it was unimportant to him for the moment.

     Spopovich, on the other hand, was even more stunned than the rest of the stadium. He remained frozen for a moment, and then tried to punch with his other hand, only to have it grabbed in the same manner as the first. Gohan remained still as a statue, the only things he'd moved were his arms.

     "Now, I'm going to pay you back for what you did to Videl," Gohan sneered. He brought up his knee, and smashed his foe in the gut with it. The big lummox immediately cried out in pain, but Gohan wasn't done yet. He jumped up into the air and executed a perfect kick to the side of Spopovich's head, sending him careening out of the ring.

     He wouldn't make it however, as Gohan appeared in front of him, and with a single hand to the forehead, stopped his flight. Then, the saiyan superhero performed a perfect uppercut to his jaw, which sent him back to the center of the ring, where he landed on his back, barely conscious.

     _"Whoa! And Saiyaman is really giving it to Spopovich! I don't know if the big guy can take much more of a beating like this! Saiyaman is now floating slowly toward the center of the ring, where his opponent is trying his best to get off the floor."_

     Gohan was having real trouble suppressing his saiyan instincts. What his gut was telling him to do was to kill the man lying before him, and to do it as painfully as possible. Visions of the beating he'd given Videl kept flashing through Gohan's eyes. As he approached the downed fighter, he reached down, and placed his hand on the top of said fighter's head. In the manner that a basketball player would palm a ball, Gohan proceeded to lift the giant man off the ground by his head. He floated up into the sky, and didn't stop until he was about twenty feet up. He pulled Spopovich right up to him, and looked him square in the eye. As he spoke, his voice was cold.

     "From what I've seen so far, you'll be able to survive this, but not much else." He reached back, and threw the brute toward the ground, where he landed with a loud crash, well outside the ring. The crowd gasped in horror, but fell silent again when Spopovich's head and right hand lifted ever so slightly with great effort, and then collapsed to the ground once more.

     _"Amazing! Saiyaman has done the impossible and managed to K.O. the mighty Spopovich! In doing so, he's not only advanced to the semifinals, but he's avenged our beloved Videl! Let's hear it for the GREAT SAIYAMAN!"_ The whole crowd erupted into cheers and applause. For the moment anyway, they didn't care that what they had just seen was completely unreal and supposedly impossible. They just knew that it was one of the most astonishing things they'd ever witnessed.

*          *            *

     Gohan floated back down to the ring with a look of great satisfaction on his face. When he began walking toward the others in the waiting area, it finally hit him what the announcer had just said, and that all these cheers were for him. It felt pretty good. 

     Then he saw Videl. She was waiting for him out in front of the others, and was beaming a smile so bright that it could've lit up a neighborhood. As he approached her, she ran out to him and threw her arms around her. Although he wasn't expecting this, he appreciated it nonetheless, and swung her around as she jumped on him. When they stopped, he put her down, and she looked up at him, a faint sparkle in her eyes.

     "You're the best, Gohan," she said warmly. He smiled even wider.

     "I try." She uncharacteristically giggled, and then pressed her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around her even tighter.

     "You're my hero, you know that?" she said only half-teasingly. He hugged her back, and then saw his dad winking at him, and Krillin was making a nudging motion with his elbow. Behind them, he could see that even 18 had a small smirk on her face. 

     Not wanting to end the moment, and at the same time not wanting to continue the moment in a spot where the whole stadium could see them, he lifted slightly off the ground and floated them back to the fighters' waiting area.

     "Great going there, Gohan!" Krillin said as they arrived. "You've got time before the next round, why don't you two get a room?" Gohan blushed to the roots of his hair.

     "KRILLIN!" He and Videl separated, both of them red as a tomato.

     "All right Krillin, leave them alone," Goku interjected. Then he turned to his son. "That was some impressive self-control, son. It looked like you wanted to rip the guy's head off." Gohan sweatdropped.

     "Uh, thanks, dad." Outside, they heard the announcer's voice again.

     _"Well folks, that was incredible, but we do still have the rest of the tournament ahead of us. The next match is between Goku and Number 18! Let's get them out here!"_

     The two of them made to exit the waiting area.

     "Good luck, hon!" Krillin called after his wife. She regarded him with a wave over her shoulder. 

     "Hey Goku," Krillin said, holding the aforementioned back for a minute.

     "Yeah? What is it, Krillin?" Krillin looked at the floor and rubbed the back of his head.

     "Well, I know were best friends and all, but, I'm gonna have to cheer for my wife in this one, okay?" He brought his eyes up to look at his friend's response.

     Goku looked at the shorter man for a moment, and then laughed.

     "Is that all you're worried about?" He asked. Krillin nodded. "You don't need to feel bad about it, Krillin, I completely understand. I'd cheer for Chi-Chi if you two ever had to fight." Krillin let out a sigh of relief.

     "Thanks, Goku," he said. "I knew you'd understand."

     "No problem."

*          *            *

     _"And here they come, into the ring! Both of these fighters have upset things merely with their presence today. Goku, a former champion and seasoned veteran of the tournament, is now highly favored to win it again. On the other hand, Number 18 gave us a surprise last round when she unseated the defending champion, Mr. Satan. Technically, she would be the champion if the tournament were to be called off prematurely. This is another match that just may decide the final outcome today._

_     "Before we begin the fight, let me say that Spopovich is not severely injured, but has yet to regain consciousness. Yamu, who came with Spopovich to the tournament, refuses to let any doctors near him. And now, on to the fight. If you two will face each other…let's begin!"_

     18 and Goku rushed at each other, and immediately began their mighty clash. Goku skipped a warm-up, as he knew that 18 never bothered with such things.

     _"Here we go again! Once more, the combatants have taken to the sky and are moving at speeds that make them difficult to see. We'll just have to wait and see which one is still standing when they're finished."_

     "Do you really think you can beat me without transforming?" 18 taunted as she and Goku fought. "Vegeta couldn't beat me even _after_ he transformed the first time."

     "I've gotten a lot stronger since then," Goku shot back. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair for me to transform. I'd beat you way to easily." 18 grunted in frustration and doubled her efforts.

     'She's right,' Goku thought. 'There's no way I can beat her like this. I've got to try something different.' He looked around for a minute, and the got an idea. He continued to dodge her attacks, albeit with great effort, but each time he dodged, he moved closer to the ground. She kept up her relentless assault until his back was but a few inches from the ground outside the ring. Without thinking, she reached back her fist again, only to have him disappear, and leave her to punch a large hole in the floor of the stadium. She realized what she'd done right as she did it, and her eyes went wide. She pulled her fist from the ground and cursed. She snapped her head to glare at Goku, who had his trademark innocent grin on.

     "You tricked me!" she shouted. He shrugged.

     "Yeah, sorry. It's just that I wasn't strong enough to beat you any other way." She grumbled, but received a tad of satisfaction from Goku's admission that she was stronger than him. At least when he wasn't transformed.

     _"And that settles it! Number 18 touched the ground outside the ring, so Goku is the winner!"_ More cheers from the crowd. _"And as these two fighters exit the arena, let's bring on the competitors in the last bout of the quarterfinals: Mighty Mask and Yamu!"_

*          *            *

     "Come on, Goten, let's go!" Trunks hurried his companion along.

     "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Goten yelled back. "Next fight Trunks, I get to be on top, okay?"

     "Okay, fine, you can be on top next time. Just get us out there so there'll _be_ a next time." Goten ran them out to the ring, where Yamu was already waiting for them.

     "Hey Goten," Trunks whispered. 

     "Yeah?"

     "This guy might be a little tougher, so be careful, okay?"

     "Okay, Trunks."

     _"All right, then! If our two fighters are ready, let's get this fight underway!"_

     Yamu, just as his partner had done, stood and waited for his opponent to attack. Trunks and Goten were happy to capitalize on this opportunity.

     "Let's get him quick, Goten!" Trunks yelled. They flew at Yamu, and Trunks gave him a good punch across the face. That was way more than the beefed-up villain had expected, and he tried to raise a defense. Before he could, Goten executed a solid kick to his stomach, which sent him reeling backwards out of the ring.

_     "And it's another quick victory for Mighty Mask! Twice now he's managed to ring out his opponents in under ten seconds. That sets a new tournament record!"_ The crowd was so used to things like this by now that there was no period of silence before the cheers. Aside from the record, they were happy that Yamu had been defeated. He was rather unpopular, due to his Victory over Jewel, and his association with Spopovich.

*          *            *

     "Wow, that Mighty Mask guy is really something," Goku said. "I can't wait to fight him in the next round." He looked around and realized that he wasn't talking to anyone, for Gohan was in the middle of a conversation with Videl, and Krillin was busy consoling his Juu-chan. Goku sweatdropped.

*          *            *

     "Whew, that guy's pretty good," Bulma remarked.

     "I'll say," agreed Chi-Chi. "I wonder who he is."

     "I want to know that too," Yamcha said. "I'm gonna try and get down there again, and then I'm gonna try and find out what this guys secret is." Chi-Chi jumped as a thought hit her.

     "Oh! When you go down, check on Gohan and Videl, will you? And tell me everything when you get back! Did you see the way she ran out and hugged him after his fight with that bully?" Yamcha smirked.

     "You read my mind, Chi-Chi. That's another reason I'm going down there. Besides, if I know Krillin, he's giving Gohan a hard time about it, and I don't wanna miss out on that." After he said this, he took off to go sneak in to the fighters' rec room again. As he left, Chi-Chi clasped her hands in front of her and stars appeared in her eyes. If all went well, she'd be a grandmother in no time.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

That's it for the quarterfinals! Was the first match a surprise? Good! I hope I gave enough so that you could figure out what happened. As for Gohan's match, that's about how I imagine it would go. It's a good thing Yamu did make Spopovich stop beating on Videl, or Gohan just might've ripped his head off for real!

Next time: Krillin vs. Gohan, and Goku vs. Trunks and Goten. Don't miss it!


	3. Semifinals

Author's Notes: Once again I emerge from the shadowy depths to deliver unto you a story filled with action and excitement. I thank you for all of the kind reviews, and thank you Enchantress101 for your endorsement. If you haven't read her story yet, you should. It's called 'Secrets,' and involves a chance to win a month of training from Mr. Satan. Gohan didn't enter, but somehow…

Enough jabbering, let's get moooving.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

     Piccolo didn't have to look very far. He'd found Vegeta standing on a rooftop across from the stadium only a minute or so after he took off. The saiyan prince had been standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face when the Namek arrived.

FLASHBACK

     "What are you doing here, Namek?" Vegeta demanded as soon as Piccolo was within earshot. He didn't even turn his head toward his visitor.

     "I came to make sure you didn't get too upset over your loss to Goku," said Piccolo as he touched down behind the prince. The response he got was given with a tone of distaste.

     "So you came to check up on me, is that it?" Vegeta sneered.

     "I just want to make sure nobody's around to upset you. That wouldn't end well."

     Vegeta spun around quickly and looked his usher in the eye. His features were contorted with frustration, annoyance, and anger.

     "I don't need a babysitter, Namek!" He spat. "I've been on this planet long enough to know how far I can go! And as for Kakarot, let him have his fun! The day will come when he will no longer be able to throw me over his shoulder as he would any other common opponent!" 

     "Very well, Vegeta," Piccolo surrendered. "I'll trust you to be by yourself. I think that's what you need, anyway. I'm going to go talk to Dende about those other fighters in the tournament. They're stronger than they should be, and the Supreme Kai won't tell us anything." He took off, and left Vegeta there on the roof to be alone with his thoughts. Even his keen ears didn't pick up the curse Vegeta mumbled as he left.

END FLASHBACK

     'I can only hope Dende's seen something that might relate to these guys,' Piccolo thought as he flew toward the tower he'd called home since his fusion with Kami seven years ago.

*          *            *

     "Hey, nice fight, Gohan!" Yamcha said as he slapped the young demi-saiyan on the back, surprising him.

     "Yamcha!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing back here?"

     "Shh!" Yamcha put his finger to his lips as he'd done last time. "I've been back here once already, but you weren't around."

     "Who's this, Gohan?" asked Videl, who'd been standing next to him. "A friend of yours? People who aren't in the tournament aren't supposed to be back here, you know."

     "Yeah, I know. This is Yamcha, and he's never been big on rules. He's been in the tournament himself though, a long time ago. He's a good friend of my dad's."

     "It's nice to meet you," Yamcha said, putting out his hand. "You must be Videl. I've heard a lot about you." His smirk resembled Krillin's as he said this. Videl concentrated on his face as she shook his hand, and then something struck her.

     "I know where I've seen you before!" she exclaimed. "You used to play baseball for the Titans, didn't you?" Yamcha smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

     "Yeah, that's me. I haven't played in a while, though."

     "Gohan, you never told me you were friends with celebrities!" Gohan shrugged.

     "I guess I just never thought about it. Yamcha's always been a fighter to me. I never really thought the fact that he played baseball was a big deal." Videl's eyes bugged out a little, and then she shook her head to clear it

     "So you say you've been in the tournament?" she asked him. He nodded.

     "Yep, three of them, actually. The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd." Videl seemed impressed.

     "So is he any good, Gohan?" she asked. Gohan and Yamcha chuckled.

     "Well, let's just say it's good for your dad's reputation that I didn't enter this time," he joked. She took it as nothing more than that and laughed along with the other two. Yamcha took this moment to whisper something in Gohan's ear.

     "So she doesn't know?" he asked. Gohan shook his head.

     "No, she doesn't. I haven't found the right time to tell her yet."

     "Well she'll figure it out for herself pretty soon, you know," Yamcha said. The younger man sighed.

     "I know. I just don't want her to lose her faith in her father, that's all. I was hoping I'd get the chance to fight him myself and tell her that way. It's what she wanted, anyway."

     "She wanted you to beat her father?" Yamcha asked, his eyes wide.

     "No, it's a long story. I'll tell you later." With that, he took Videl's arm to lead her off to another area where they could talk in quiet. The two of them said goodbye to Yamcha, and then they walked away. Yamcha watched them go with a smirk on his face. He knew what Chi Chi's reaction would be. He was so caught up in it, that he didn't feel the two powers coming up behind him until they were right there.

     "Whaddya think, Yamcha?" Krillin asked as he and Goku joined the former thief in watching the young couple.

     "They're just like I've heard, that's for sure," Yamcha replied.

     "Did Chi Chi send you down here to spy on them for her?" Goku asked with a chuckle.

     "Well, yes and no," Yamcha answered him. "She asked me to, but I wanted to see them anyway. Oh! That reminds me! Is that guy Mighty Mask around here anywhere?" He looked about, but saw nothing. Both of his friends shook their heads.

     "He takes off in between rounds," Krillin said. "Nobody knows where he goes." Yamcha pounded his fist into his other hand.

     "Damn. I was hoping to get a closer look at that guy," he said.

     "So you've definitely noticed something too, huh?" Goku inquired.

     "Oh, yeah, there's no doubt about it. That guy is a lot stronger than he should be. How did he get so much power without any of us noticing?"

     "I don't know," Goku responded, "But I'm gonna fight him in the next round. Then we'll see what he can really do. You'd better head back now. I just heard the whistle for the start of the third round."

     "Right. I'll keep an eye out from the stands, and I'll come back after this round to let you know if I've seen anything, okay?" The other two nodded, and Yamcha turned to leave.

     "Oh!" He spun around, remembering something. "Did Piccolo find Vegeta?"

     "We don't know," Krillin answered. "But we haven't sensed any trouble, so I'm guessing everything's all right for now."

     "That's good," affirmed Yamcha. "I'll see you guys later!" He waved and took off before any officials came by and found him.

*          *            *

     "Well?" Chi Chi asked as Yamcha took his seat back in the bleachers.

     "The semifinals are just about to start, and Goku's gonna test this Mighty Mask to see what he's made of," Yamcha told her.

     "I mean about Gohan and Videl!" Chi Chi shouted. "That's what you went back there for, remember?"

     "Actually, that was only one of the reasons I went back there," he corrected her. "But as for the answer to your question…" He smiled broadly and nodded. Chi Chi squealed with delight and clasped her hands in front of her. As she spoke, tears started welling up in her eyes.

     "Oh, I knew it! Gohan's going to marry that girl, and I'll be a grandmother at last! This is one of the happiest days of my life!"

     Yamcha sweatdropped.

*          *            *

     _"All right, ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for the semifinal round of the World Martial Arts Tournament?"_ The crowd erupted in cheers. _"I can't hear you! Who wants to see some of the greatest fighters in the world duke it out to see who goes on to the final match?"_ The crowd cheered even louder, and the announcer had to wait a moment before continuing. _"Now that's more like it! So, without further ado, whaddya say we get started?"_ More cheering. _"Okay! Here we go with the first match of the semifinals! It's Krillin versus the Great Saiyaman!"_

*          *            *

     "It looks like both of you guys have worked up quite a fan base out there!" exclaimed Goku as he and the others watched the announcer from the waiting area. Whole sections of the crowd were cheering for either Krillin or Gohan as if they'd been favorites all along.

     "Well y'know, Goku," Krillin stated matter-of-factly, "Great lookin' guys like us, how can they not cheer? Right, Gohan?" He nudged the demi-saiyan with his elbow. Gohan glanced at Videl and blushed a little.

     "Yeah, I…guess," he managed to say. Meanwhile, the announcer was busy talking the two of them up.

*          *            *

     _"Both of these competitors are some of the strongest fighters this tournament has ever seen! Krillin is a tournament veteran, and this is his fourth appearance in this arena! He's already shown us today that he's fast and unusually strong for someone his size, and something tells me we haven't seen everything he can do just yet!" _Roars came from the hoards of Krillin enthusiasts in the crowd.

     _"But let's not forget the Great Saiyaman! This remarkable hero has proven his strength and abilities not only here in the ring today, but time after time when he's saved our fair city from impending disaster! This is his first tournament appearance, and he's certainly gone the distance! Will he be able to overcome his diminutive yet mighty opponent? We'll find out in only a few minutes!" _Cheers from the Saiyaman fans. Unlike Krillin, he did have some before the tournament began. Being a superhero tends to make one popular with the populace.

*          *            *

     "They really like you out there, Gohan," Videl said. 

     "It sure sounds that way," Gohan replied.

     "You go out and win this thing, okay?" she said. "You're going to be the champ, I just know it." Gohan blushed.

     "Ah, gee…thanks Videl," was all he could choke out.

     "Earth to Gohan!" came a yell from behind him that made him jump. He spun around and found a smirking Krillin before him.

     "It's time to fight, bro," his shorter friend said. "You think you're up to it?" Gohan resumed his attitude that he kept around his friends when Videl wasn't around.

     "Dream on, Krillin," he joked. "There's no way you're gonna beat me."

     "Well if I remember correctly," Krillin jeered, "The last time we sparred, I won." Gohan laughed.

     "Well if _I_ remember correctly," countered Gohan, "The last time we sparred, I was six." Videl overheard this and was needless to say a little shocked.

     "You just see if all that studying you've been doing for the last seven years hasn't slowed you up any," Krillin said. "Let's get out there, eh? The crowd's getting' restless."

     "After you," Gohan said and gestured with his hand toward the ring. Krillin walked out, and Gohan followed right behind him.

*          *            *

_     "And here they are, folks! Our first two semifinalists!"_ The crowd kept yelling until the two of them entered the ring and faced each other. Then everything was completely silent.

     _"It looks like they're ready, so let the first bout of the semifinals begin!"_

     Krillin and Gohan rushed at each other, and when they met in the middle, fists and feet flew.

*          *            *

     "Not bad, Gohan!" Krillin teased. "But I would've thought a saiyan could put up more of a fight than this!" Their fight became airborne, and the crowd remained relatively quiet as the blows were exchanged up in the sky. Krillin still felt charged form the last fight, and he was exploiting it to the max.

     "Don't tempt me, Krillin," Gohan retorted. "I wouldn't want to have to hurt you or anything."

     Outward taunting aside, Gohan was having more trouble with Krillin than he'd bargained for. Sure, he was stronger than the human, but apparently those seven years of minimal training did make a difference. He was finding that Krillin's superior fighting experience was somewhat making up for the gap in strength. If he wasn't careful, he just might lose this fight.

     'Either he's just messing around, or he's gotten sloppy,' Krillin thought. 'There's no way I should be holding out so well against him right now.'

*          *            *

     "So who's this Krillin guy?" Erasa asked. "And what's with all the flying? Does Gohan have a bunch of friends who are superheroes too?"

     "I don't know," moaned Sharpener in a defeated tone. "All of a sudden it's like flying is a normal part of fighting just like punching or kicking."

     "Well I wanna know where Gohan got his powers from," Erasa said. "Do you think he was in a nuclear accident or something?"

     "Maybe he's an alien or some scientifically enhanced super soldier," Sharpener replied sarcastically.

     "He doesn't look like an alien," Erasa said. "Maybe he was struck by lightning when he was little." Sharpener rolled his eyes.

     "Erasa, people get struck by lightning all the time without getting superpowers," he said.

     "Well how else could it've happened?" She asked.

     "I don't know," he answered, "But however it happened, we know he's not the only one it happened to. And besides, now Videl can fly too."

     "Do you think her dad can fly?" Erasa asked. Sharpener shrugged.

     "We'll have to ask her, I guess."

     A scream brought their attention back to the fight, where the shorter guy was throwing weird beams of light at Gohan, who was knocking them into the sky.

*          *            *

     "Is that the best you've got, Krillin?" Gohan mocked as he deflected the small ki blasts. Krillin chuckled and smirked right before launching a huge ball of ki at his young opponent. Gohan swung around it and kicked it up into the sky like a soccer ball, but as he did Krillin appeared before him and threw a punch in his face. The young demi-saiyan barely blocked in time.

     "If you couldn't see that coming," Krillin said as they held their positions, "Then you've really gotten rusty. That's okay with me, though. It'd be nice to make it to the finals for once."

     Gohan grunted and pushed the shorter man away from him. A second later, they were sparring intensely again. They were merely a blur of punches, kicks and blocks. After a few moments, they flew in small arcs away from each other, and then simultaneously spun around and fired kame-hame-ha waves at each other. A bright flash ensued, and when it waned, the onlookers found them fighting again.

*          *            *

     "Go, daddy!" little Marron cheered. Yamcha chuckled.

     "He's doing really well, isn't he?" He asked the little girl as he placed his hand on her head affectionately.

     "He's certainly doing better against Gohan than I would've expected," observed Bulma. "That wife of his must've really put him through his paces."

*          *            *

     'I'm gonna have to power up to almost full if I wanna beat him,' Gohan thought. 'He's just too good.'

     So Gohan powered up to just about his maximum without transforming. Krillin tried valiantly, but he knew he stood no chance. It was only a matter of ten or fifteen seconds before Gohan pounded him down to the ground and he landed in a big crater outside the ring. The demi-saiyan powered down and floated back down and landed in the ring.

*          *            *

     _"Oh, my goodness! It looks like Krillin has landed out of the ring, but…I don't know if he could even have survived a fall like that! When he landed, he made a crater ten feet wide!"_

     The entire stadium was silent, thinking that Krillin was either dead or severely injured. The announcer looked remorseful. After all, he'd gotten to know Krillin fairly well over the years. After Krillin didn't move for a few seconds, he too assumed the worst.

     _"Well folks, it looks like the Great Saiyaman will have to be disqualified for…wait! Krillin is getting up!"_

A collective gasp sounded throughout the stadium as the short human warrior stood up, brushed himself off and climbed out of the crater seemingly unharmed. After he stretched his head to both sides and arched his back to pop everything back into place, the whole crowd cheered. It was something they could barely believe, and indeed many didn't, but they were relived nonetheless.

     _"Unbelievable! Krillin has just climbed out of the crater, and appears to be perfectly fine! That means that the Great Saiyaman will get to advance after all! More importantly, it means that our other contestant is okay! Let's see if we can get a word with him."_

     The announcer walked over to Krillin.

     _"Excuse me, Krillin? Would you mind telling us what happened there at the end?"_ He put the mike up to the former monk, who spoke into it.

     "Nothing much to tell, really," he said. "Saiyaman's just stronger than me, that's all."

     _"It looked as though you were hurt very badly, but you seem to be fine. How is that?"_

     "Well, I'm not completely fine," he admitted. "I'm gonna be a little sore in the morning, that's for sure." With that, he and Gohan walked off to join the others, leaving the announcer and everyone else speechless.

*          *            *

     Videl was waiting for Gohan when he came back. She had a somewhat stern look on her face.

     "What were you thinking?" she scolded him. "You could've killed him!" Gohan merely chuckled.

     "Nah, he's fine. It would take more than that to kill him, or even hurt him badly." Videl's eyes widened, and Gohan continued. "Besides, you don't think I'd actually _kill_ anybody, do you? I mean, except for Spopovich that is." Her face softened and she giggled a little bit.

     "No, I guess no," she said. She smiled at him. "But this puts you in the finals, huh? Who do you think you'll be fighting, your dad or that Mighty Mask guy?"

     "Oh, my dad, definitely," he replied. He had no doubt that his father would be easily able to defeat this strange new warrior.

*          *            *

     When the announcer recovered, he decided it was time to move along with things.

     _"Okay! Well that means it's time for the last fight before the final round! It's Son Goku versus Mighty Mask!_

_     "Son Goku has been to the tournament many times, and has never failed to make it to the final round. Two tournaments ago, he succeeded in becoming the world champion, and in the process managed to completely obliterate the stadium. Why he didn't appear at the last tournament is unknown, but he's back today to reclaim his title. He's always been impressive, and this tournament is no different. Both of his matches thus far have been of colossal proportion, and he even managed to oust the unofficial champ, Number 18, making him the current titleholder. _

_     "Mighty Mask, on the other hand, has only appeared in one previous tournament. At the 24th Budokai, he was defeated rather quickly in the first round. Now, despite an unimpressive score on the punch machine compared to our other competitors, he seems to be a great deal stronger. Both of his opponents so far have been knocked out of the ring with minimal effort, and under ten seconds. That is by far a tournament record. This promises to be a very interesting match indeed." _

*          *            *

     "Okay, Goten, let's go!" Trunks called down to his counterpart.

     "Wait!" Goten called back. "I thought you said I got to be on top this time!" Trunks rolled his eyes.

     "Fine, you can be on top. Just hurry up already, will ya?" The two of them switched places quickly enough so that nobody noticed.

     "Do you think we can beat my dad, Trunks?" Goten asked.

     "Probably," the other boy answered. "After all, he's been dead for seven years. How strong could he be?"

     "Well, he did beat your dad, Trunks," Goten pointed out. The lavender-haired boy grunted but did not respond.

     "Hey Trunks, don't you think we should go out there now?"

     "Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's make a big entrance again, okay?"

     Goten nodded. "Right."

*          *            *

     _"Will our two fighters please report to the ring?"_

     Goku walked out to the ring, followed by his strange looking opponent who jumped when he was halfway there and made a shaky landing opposite him. The saiyan hero regarded the bizarre man with an arched eyebrow, and then waited for the announcer to start the fight.

     _"Are you two ready"_ Both fighters nodded. _"Then let the last semifinal bout begin!"_

*          *            *

     Trunks kicked off and flew toward Goku, hoping that Goten would be able to put up a good fight. Through his eyeholes, he could see his friend's father fighting back. It was obvious he was holding back, as he didn't know just whom it was he was fighting and therefore didn't know how hard he could go without hurting them. He felt Goten's heels kick his shoulders slightly, the signal to take off. Trunks grinned. In the air, they could function better, and he could also assist by throwing some kicks.

*          *            *

     'This is weird,' thought Goku as he fought his mysterious foe. He's been continually releasing more and more of his power during the fight, but Mighty Mask kept up with him the whole way. 'And there's something about his technique. It seems familiar somehow.'

     He pumped it up a little more, and was successful in ramming the unnamed fighter downward, where he landed with a crash, damaging the ring somewhat. Goku figured that was enough.

     'I hope I didn't hurt the guy,' he thought.

*          *            *

     _"And now Mighty Mask has been pummeled into the ground! I don't think he's going to be able to get back up after this one, folks."_

     Trunks could hear the announcer yelling, but ignored him.

     "Great job, Goten!" he yelled at his cohort. "Why don't you let me be on top again?"

     So the two of them switched places once again, and prepared to reenter the fray.

     _"Ah, Mighty Mask? Are you okay? Are you going to give up?"_ Together they burst from the hole and landed in front of the announcer. Trunks spoke in his deep voice, trying to imitate Mr. Satan.

     "No way! Ha ha ha! I never give up!" He spurred Goten with his heels, and they shot off into the sky at a surprised Goku.

     _"Well there you have it, folks! Mighty Mask refuses to give up! I've never seen him like this before!"_

*          *            *

     'Incredible!' Thought Goku as he continued the fight, having a bit of difficulty now. 'He's changed his technique! I can't predict his movements!' He powered up some more, a bit nervy now at the unnatural strength of his rival.

*          *            *

     "This isn't working, Goten!" Trunks yelled.

     "What if we go super saiyan, Trunks?" Goten shouted back.

     "Great idea! With this suit on, nobody even knows who we are!" The pulled away from the fight and entered a standoff with Goku.

     "Are you ready, Goten?" Trunks whispered discreetly to his partner.

     "Yeah!"

     They transformed, and the costume of Mighty Mask inflated as if it were over a large air vent. The distinctive gold aura shone through the fabric.

*          *            *

     "Hey, what's wrong with that man!?" yelled Marron. "He's glowing!" Behind her Master Roshi sat with his usual expressionless face, but he understood everything.

     'I knew it was those two all along,' he thought to himself. 'Do they really think they can fool Goku?'

*          *            *

     Up in the air, Goku was smirking. Like his master, he'd caught on.

     'I get it now,' thought. 'I've got a couple of super saiyans here.' He called out to them.

     "Trunks! Goten! Do Chi Chi and Bulma know you're playing around up here?" The smirk never left his face.

     "Yikes! We're busted!" Trunks yelled.

     "What are we gonna do, Trunks?"

     "I don't know! You're dad's gonna kill us! And if he doesn't, our moms will!"

     Just then, Goten saw a small ki blast headed for them.

     "Look out!" he yelled. In their panic, they didn't take the time to coordinate their escape, and each tried to fly in a different direction. The ki blast hit their costume, and ripped it in half, separating them. Needless to say, the crowd was a little shocked.

*          *            *

     "Is that Goten?" Chi Chi inquired angrily.

     "Then that means…" Bulma reasoned, "The other one must be Trunks!" Both women were furious, and although he felt like doing so, Yamcha wisely decided that now was not the time to make a comment.

*          *            *

     "What's your brother doing up there?" Videl asked.

     "I don't know," Gohan replied. Just then, Trunks pulled the mask off from over his head, revealing him as well.

     "I guess they just really wanted to be part of the adult competition," he said.

     "How could they do that though?" She demanded. "They're just kids!"

     "Yeah, but they're really strong. They're a lot stronger than you or I were at that age. Or anybody else for that matter." Videl just shook her head. That still wasn't explanation enough for her.

*          *            *

     "What do we do now?" Goten asked his partner.

     "I guess we finish the fight," Trunks answered. "Come on, Goten. I bet together, we could take him." They dropped into fighting stances and prepared to attack.

     _"Hey, wait a minute! The two of you can't fight together! You're disqualified!"_

The two young demi-saiyans glanced at each other, and opted to make a run for it. They took off and flew away from the stadium. Trunks made one last call over his shoulder.

     "Your tournament was stupid!"

*          *            *

     "Rggh! Those boys are in so much trouble when we get home!" Chi Chi raged.

     "I can't believe they did that!" Bulma shouted. This time, Yamcha tried to calm them down.

     "Ladies, please," he said, putting his hands up. "It's not like they hurt themselves or anybody else, right?"

     "You stay out of this!" Bulma screamed at him. The former bandit prudently sat down and did not open his mouth again.

*          *            *

     _"Well, I guess that clinches it. Mighty Mask was disqualified because he was two people! That makes Goku the winner!"_

     The aforementioned had just floated back down to the ring, and still wore an expression of amusement mixed with surprise.

     _"That means that the final fight for the championship will be Son Goku against the indomitable Great Saiyaman! So stick around, because I guarantee you this is one fight you don't want to miss!"_

     The announcer then walked over to Goku to have a chat with him.

     "That one boy, Goten," he said. "He looks a lot like you. Is he your son?"

     "You bet he is," replied Goku proudly. The announcer grinned.

     "He put on quite an impressive show in the junior division. It reminded me of when you first competed all those years ago."

     Goku laughed. "Well, he's a lot stronger than I was back then," he said. "And younger, too. I was twelve when I first fought in the tournament, remember?" The announcer nodded.

     "Don't spread this around," Goku continued in a near-whisper, "But the one I'm fighting in the next round is also my son." The announcer's eyes went wide for a second.

     "The Great Saiyaman is your son?" Goku nodded again. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. What with all those superpowers of his, who else could be his father?" The two shared a laugh before Goku bade his old friend farewell and headed back to the others.

     Off to the side, hidden in the shadows where no one noticed them, two figures stood waiting. The larger one had only regained consciousness recently, and the shorter one still had a bit of a bloody lip. 

     They held strange objects in their hands, and wore maniacal grins on their faces. The next match would be the one they'd been waiting for.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

Ta-daa! What do you think? I just had to keep that bit with Goten and Trunks in there, it's just funny. And Trunks' line there has always been one of my favorites. Any guesses for who's going to win the tournament?

P.S. Any of you who happen to be Sailor Moon fans, read "Rifts" by Cav. (And tell him to finish it!)


	4. Finals

Hello, and welcome once again to my little story. I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long, but for the entire month of March I have been without a computer to use. Anyway, I would also like to remind you that this, being the final round, is also the final chapter. No begging for continuations, because there is no more. This is where the story ends. If you can't get enough however, check out my upcoming story entitled "The Prodigal Son." It is a much longer, more involved story that this one, and from a writer's standpoint, I'd say it's better written. Just wait and see!

Chapter Four-The Final Round

     "So, Gohan," Krillin jeered as they sat in the locker room before the last bout, "Do you think you're ready to take on your dad?" Gohan gulped nervously.

     "I'm not sure," he said. Videl gave him a playful punch in the arm.

     "Don't talk like that!" she said. "You can beat anybody! There's no way for even your dad to beat you!" It helped a lot to hear her say this, and it helped him even more to know that she truly believed it as well, and wasn't just saying it to encourage him.

     "Well, from what I saw the last time they were together, I'd have to put my money on Gohan, too," came a voice from the entrance to the room.

     "Yamcha!" greeted Goku. Apparently their friend had successfully snuck back one more time.

     "You're forgetting that the brat hasn't trained for seven years," came another voice.

      "Vegeta! You came back to watch the finals?" Despite the prince's obvious foul mood, he managed a smirk.

     "You think I'd miss the opportunity to see one of you idiots pound the other into oblivion?" This comment irked Videl somewhat.

     "Now wait just a minute!" she started to get up, but was pulled back down when Gohan placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him quizzically, and he just shook his head with a serious expression on his face. She dropped the topic.

     "Do you think you've improved enough to be a match for your son?" asked Piccolo, who had also returned and true to his fashion had entered through the window. Goku shrugged.

     "There's no way to know until we meet in the ring," he said.

     "Well that's going to happen pretty quick," Yamcha said. "There goes the bell. I guess I didn't really get a chance to talk to you this time, did I?"

     "It's just as well," Goku said. "I'd like for them to finish the tournament as soon as possible so that I can spend some time with everybody. I only have all day." Krillin and Yamcha laughed, and then the latter headed back to the bleachers.

     "Shall we?" asked Krillin, gesturing to the fighters' waiting area. Vegeta snorted and went ahead, and the others soon followed. Now they merely had to wait for the announcer to call them.

*          *            *

     Mr. Satan meanwhile, was surrounded by reporters asking him questions about the fight. Without cameras, they had to resort to the old fashioned form of interviewing: notepads. They had finished grilling him about his own fight, and were now asking his opinion of the finalists. He tried to be as derisive as he could be without giving away his true distaste for both fighters.

     "So, Mr. Satan, who do you think will win this match?" one reporter asked.

     "Well, it's hard to say. Having a former champion in the ring is always a sign of something, but the 23rd tournament had lousy competition, so that doesn't count for too much."

     "And what about the Great Saiyaman?"

     "That runt?" the burly man laughed. "I'm surprised he even made it this far!"

     "But Mr. Satan, the Great Saiyaman has proven himself to be a superb fighter and exceptionally strong," the reporter pointed out.

     "It's all a bunch of simple tricks and nonsense. Even against a faker like Goku, he doesn't stand a chance!"

     "So you're saying that Goku will win?"

     Mr. Satan was uncomfortable about showing any scrap of confidence in either one of them, but he'd backed himself into it.

     "Yes, I think he will," he stated simply. The reporters all rushed to write it down and move on to further questions.

*          *            *

     _"Okay! Are you all ready for the final round of this tournament?"_ Cheers erupted from all corners of the stadium. The ousting of their hero and champion was all but forgotten, and the crowd was totally wrapped up in the excitement of everything that had happened so far.

     _"Then let's bring out our finalists!" _Goku and the Great Saiyaman started their walk to the ring. _"Goku is the second Son to make it to the finals today, his son Goten having come in second in the junior division. Will he reclaim his former title today, or will the mysterious Great Saiyaman prove to be the mightiest in the world? We're about to find out!"_

     The two fighters took their positions opposite each other in the ring, and signaled to the announcer that they were ready. 

*          *            *

     "This is it," the Supreme Kai said to Kibito. "The outcome of this match will determine everything." The taller being simply nodded.

*          *            *

     "Are you ready, Gohan?" Goku asked his son.

     "As ready as I'll ever be, dad," he replied. The announcer declared the beginning of the match, and they flew at each other.

*          *            *

     "Look at them go!" Krillin exclaimed. "I'll tell you, I've been waiting for this match for a long time." 18 hmmed, and Vegeta snorted again.

     "So you guys don't know who's going to win?" Videl asked.

     "It's a toss-up," Krillin admitted. Videl got a confident look on her face.

     "Gohan's going to win." She stated it as a fact. Krillin chuckled to himself.

*          *            *

     "Are you gonna turn it up now?" Goku asked.

     "Whatever you say," came the reply. The two of them kicked it up a notch and took their fight higher into the sky.

     'I can't sense any difference in his power yet,' Goku noted to himself, 'But his technique is definitely sloppier. He's out of practice, all right.'

     They dove back down towards the ring, each slowly increasing his with every attack. It wouldn't be long before one of the reached his limit.

*          *            *

     "Be ready as soon as they declare the winner," Yamu said to his counterpart. "We've got to take it and get out of here in a hurry." The larger man nodded.

     "Right." 

*          *            *

     Gohan was approaching his maximum, and he wasn't winning by any sense of the word. He knew he would have to transform very shortly. His father, on the other hand, seemed to be holding out just fine. This was not good.

     "You're doing well, Gohan," Goku said. "I could use more sparring partners like you in other world." Gohan grinned.

     "Well, you'll have to wait," was all he said. Goku chuckled, and the two of them flew apart and landed in opposite ends of the ring.

     "I'm ready to go to the next step, are you?" Gohan asked.

     "Anytime." The two of them gathered their respective energy for a moment, and then transformed simultaneously. It was quite a sight for those who weren't used to seeing it. Indeed, it was a sight even for those who were.

*          *            *

     "This will make the fight much more interesting," Piccolo said.

     "You've got that right! How lucky are we to get to see two super saiyan power brawls in one day?" He promptly received a smack in the back of his head, and turned around to see his wife standing there, gesturing to Videl with her eyes. Krillin realized what he'd done and clamped his hands over his mouth. Fortunately, the young girl was so engrossed in watching Gohan fight that she hadn't heard his comment.

*          *            *

     "My money's on Gohan," Sharpener said. 

     "I don't know," Erasa said. "That's his dad, isn't it? How many guys do you know that can beat up their dads?"

     "How many guys do you know that can lift planes and buses?" Sharpener countered. Erasa didn't say anything, but conceded with a nod.

*          *            *

     In the ring, the fight was going as it had before, only on a much larger scale. Each warrior was slowly bringing out more and more of his super saiyan power. It was clear to Gohan that his father had more power in reserve than he, and that it was only a matter of time before he lost the match. He decided to go for one last ride. In a quick break in the fighting, Gohan let out a mighty yell and powered up to his full SSJ strength. During the power up, it occurred to Gohan to attempt another SSJ2 transformation, even though he figured it wouldn't work. He hadn't been able to do it in years. The one earlier against Kibito seemed almost a fluke, though it had seemed quite natural at the time.

     Goku watched his son reach his full potential, and wondered if he was going to go to the next level. He knew that he could do this as well, but he wasn't sure if doing it in front of an already humbled Vegeta was such a good idea. Goku came to the decision that were Gohan to jump to the next level, he would win the fight.

     It didn't look like that was the case however, for Gohan had lost whatever he'd found earlier, and could not transform a second time. That was it, he was going to finish this fight as a super saiyan. He would probably lose, but as far as he was concerned, losing to his father was nothing at all to be ashamed of. Now finished with his power up, he faced his father once more.

     "Let's finish it, dad," he said. Goku grinned.

     'It looks like he's not going to transform after all,' the older Son thought. 'Then this is where it ends. It's a shame to have to beat him in front of Videl, but…' his thoughts were cut short as his progeny leaped at him with another attack.

*          *            *

     "I think they're at full power now, you guys," Krillin said. "This might just be the end."

     "Gohan didn't transform," came a voice from behind them. "Why is that?" They turned around to see the supreme kai standing there.

     "You got me," Krillin shrugged. "Maybe he just didn't want to."  
     The Kai let out a pensive "Hmm." He then turned to face his companion. "This may change our plans somewhat, Kibito." The taller one nodded.

*          *            *

     Gohan was on his last legs, and he knew it. This was as strong as he could get in his SSJ form, and his father was still stronger. As he took a hit that sent him careening to the floor of the ring, he reflected on what Videl had told him earlier.

     **_"You can beat anybody! There's no way for even your dad to beat you!"_** That belief had been further encouraged when he'd wiped the floor with Spopovich.

     'Sorry, Videl,' he thought. Just then, the aforementioned thug caught the corner of his eye. He and his companion, Yamu, were standing off to the side of the ring, just a little closer than they should be. A monk came to tell them so, and Spopovich smacked him aside with his enormous hand. Gohan's eye twitched as he witnessed the act. Then he noticed a wicked grin plastered onto the lummox's face, directed at him! Images from Videl's fight came pouring back into his mind, and he was filled with a renewed revulsion toward the man. He didn't know what the two of them were planning, and why that nasty grin was there, but he wasn't about to let them get away with it. He looked up to see his father rushing down toward him, and realized he couldn't do anything until the fight was over. That left one logical course of action: end the fight. 

     Gohan stood up, and as soon as he did the stadium started shaking. Goku halted in midair when he saw what was happening. A hush ran through the crowd, and all the fighters looked on with wide eyes, while Kibito and the Supreme Kai grinned. Gohan's hair flashed even brighter than it already was, and streaks of blue electricity sparked around him. Spopovich and Yamu watched the events in the ring as well as a device in their hands with increasing glee. Goku gasped when he realized what was happening. He wasn't going to win.

     Gohan gave one final, colossal yell and his hair grew up a little longer, his muscles powered up, and the blue electricity came in more steady spurts. A brilliant flash of light emanated from him so that many of the spectators had to shield their eyes. He'd reached super saiyan level 2.

*          *            * 

     Videl watched her friend in awe. This was the second time she'd seen him do this today, and somehow it seemed even more amazing that the first. Moreover, she hadn't the faintest idea of what it was he'd just done. She heard Krillin say something.

     "Well, looks like the fight's over," he said. "Unless Goku can do that, too."

     "I wouldn't be surprised if he could," said Piccolo. "But I don't think he would anyway. Not with Vegeta here." He made sure the saiyan prince was out of earshot when he said that.

*          *            *

     The dust cleared, and Gohan looked up at his father. "Sorry, dad," he said. Goku gave him a knowing look and powered up to his maximum. He wasn't going down without a fight. 

     All of a sudden, Gohan charged from the ground at his father, and the final showdown began. They were moving so fast that only Vegeta could follow all of their movements, and he didn't say anything. After about a minute, Goku came crashing down and landed outside the ring with a thud. When Gohan floated down and landed in the center of the ring, Spopovich and Yamu were nowhere to be seen, but somehow he didn't care as much. The back of his mind was telling him something, and he was listening.

     "You've just won the Tenkaichi Budokai! You are the world champion!" He looked around and saw the whole audience cheering, and then over at the waiting area, where Videl was jumping up and down. He smiled. He'd done it. He'd actually won.

     ::Celebrate, son:: he heard his father's voice in his head. ::You don't get a moment like this very many times in your life. Make the best of it. Give them a victory stance they'll never forget:: Gohan smiled, and then decided to do just that. All the adrenaline and excitement was pushing him to, anyway.

     He shot his arms up over his head, and when he did, two streaks of blue lightning shot down from the sky into his fists. Kids who were there would later compare the sight to a thunder god in a popular video game. He cheered and laughed at the same time, and the crowd cheered with him. He was their hero officially now.

*          *            *

     _"And that clinches it, folks! The champion of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai is the one and only GREAT SAIYAMAN!" _A new wave of cheers and applause came, and Chi Chi was almost hysterical. Goku was going back to join his friends and let his son have his moment of glory. There were no cameras in the stadium, so they had nothing to worry about.

     All of a sudden, the mood changed. As the announcer was walking into the ring to congratulate Gohan, two figures leaped from the bushes beside the ring and lunged for Gohan. He was about to raise a defense when the Supreme Kai cast a spell to restrict his movements. He was frozen in place, stiff as a board. Goku took a step out to help his son, but the Kai called for him to stop.

     "This is what I was expecting to happen earlier," he explained. "We must not help him." Goku looked unsure, but obeyed.

     Videl and Krillin on the other hand, weren't so ready to leave their friend helpless. They watched as Spopovich "held Gohan in place" while Yamu stabbed with a strange looking urn of some sort. Videl shrieked, but Krillin was the first to react.

     "Gohan!" He yelled as he made a dash for the ring. He didn't make it very far, however, as Piccolo grabbed the back of his shirt.

     "What's the deal, Piccolo?" the short man demanded.

     "The Supreme Kai said to stay back, so we stay back. Gohan will be fine."

     Krillin didn't like the idea, but he gave in. Videl, on the other hand, had seen all she could stand.

     "I'm coming, Gohan!" She yelled as she too attempted to make a dash for the ring. It was Goku who held her back.

     "Stay back, Videl," he said.

     "But Gohan needs help!" she pleaded with him, and tears began to well up in her eyes. "Please! Let me help him!"

     "Gohan will be just fine," Shin said. Videl didn't know who he was or how he knew Gohan, but a reassuring nod from Goku told her not to question the strange little man. She was still worried, and watching Gohan in such obvious pain hurt her very much.

*          *            *

     "What are they doing to my baby?" Chi Chi screamed. The people in front of her, or rather under her now, were wishing they'd chosen different seats.

     "And why isn't anybody helping him?" Bulma wondered.

     "Yamcha!" Chi Chi wailed, turning to face him. "Go help him, please." Yamcha nodded affirmative and stood up to fly down and assist. Goku must have felt the flare in his ki because he looked up at the former bandit and shook his head. Thoroughly confused, Yamcha sat back down.

*          *            *

     Gohan's hair and eyes had reverted to their normal colors.

     "It's almost over," said the Supreme Kai. Just as he said that, the blinding light stopped, and Spopovich and Yamu dropped the demi saiyan and flew off.

     "I must follow them, and see where they are taking Gohan's power," said the kai. "You are welcome to come along, but I understand if you feel you must remain here."

     "But what about Gohan?" Krillin asked.

     "Kibito will take care of him. I must go now." He took off and flew after the two thugs. Kibito flew out to Gohan in the ring, and Videl went with him.

*          *            *

     "Gohan!" Videl yelled and landed right next to him on her knees. "Are you all right?" He was breathing, but he didn't appear able to answer her.

     "He will be fine," came the voice of Kibito from behind her. He knelt down on the other side of Gohan and placed his large ands over the youth's chest.

*          *            *

     "So you're going?" Krillin asked Goku.

     "I don't really have much of a choice. The Supreme Kai gave me his word that Gohan would be all right. That's good enough for me. Following him is the only way I can find out what's going on around here."

     "Then I'm coming, too," said Krillin. Goku smiled at his friend.

     "Thanks, Krillin," he said. Then he turned to the other three. "I know you're coming, Piccolo. What about you two?"

     "I have to stay behind and look after Marron," 18 said simply.

     "Vegeta? I'm sure there's a possibility for a good fight." 

     Vegeta growled. "Fine! I'll come! But only because I want to find out what's got that Kai all worried."

     "Great! Let's go, then!" Goku said. He took off and Vegeta flew after him.

     "I'm right behind you, Kakarot!" he called, although he didn't sound happy about it. Piccolo took off next, and Krillin was last.

     "So long, Juu-chan! Take care of Marron, I'll be back!"

     "Krillin, don't go getting killed or anything!" She called after him. He paused long enough to turn and flash her a huge grin before continuing on his way.

*          *            *

     Kibito was all ready to begin the procedure when two monks with a stretcher came up to them.

     "We'll take it from here," one of them said.

     "No you will not," replied Kibito in a very matter-of-fact way.

     "B-but he's been stabbed, sir!"

     Kibito made a gruff noise and gave the two a stern look. They backed off. Kibito then saw Goku and the others fly out of the stadium. He turned his attention back to Gohan.

     "I do not know how long it will take for you to regain your full strength," he said to the boy. Then he began the revitalizing process while Videl looked on in amazement. After a minute or so, Gohan stood up, and Videl beamed.

     "How do you feel, Gohan?" asked Kibito. Gohan clenched his fists a few times.

     "I feel great!" he stated. "I feel even stronger than I was before!" Videl laughed and hugged him, but Kibito interrupted their moment.

     "Gohan. I must go with the Supreme Kai and your friends. If you come, I promise everything will be explained to you." He took off, leaving Gohan to make up his mind.

     "You're going, aren't you?" Videl asked.

     "Mm-hmm."

     "I want to come with you."

     Gohan looked doubtful. "I don't know. It might be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

     Videl wasn't hearing it. "Oh, please let me come! I could help you guys out!" Gohan still looked hesitant. She decided to use her trump card and use her famed stubbornness. "If you don't let me come, I'll just follow you anyway."

     Gohan thought it over once more before finally giving in. "Okay. But if things get too rough, will you promise me that you'll get out of there?" She nodded enthusiastically. "All right, let's go then." 

     And so the pair took off, from which point the story of Bibidi, Babidi and Buu as we know it came to pass. The spectators remained behind with their mouths open, exactly as they had been since Gohan rose from the floor of the ring. They hadn't any idea what was going on, and they probably never would.

THE END

I'm finished! Finally! I hope this chapter was satisfactory to most everyone, and I again apologize for the wait. Remember: "The Prodigal Son." My best work ever! Look for it!


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